On Our Radar: The Worst Job Hunting Advice

Choose your (work) friends wisely. A recent study suggests that the key to keeping your computer screen tuned to that Excel spreadsheet instead of Facebook could be forming “close working relationships with people who exhibit a high degree of self-discipline,” according to the Association for Psychological Science’s blog on the workplace. It’s good news for all the procrastinators out there: focus can be contagious. – Rachel Feintzeig

There’s plenty of bad job-hunting advice out there. The Week did us the favor of gathering some of the worst doozies, including the recommendation that you send a shoe to a recruiter, with a note recommending a meeting now that you’ve gotten your foot in the door. –Melissa Korn

Women now comprise the majority of college graduates, but they’re still ending up in low-paying service jobs in higher numbers than their male counterparts, writes Bloomberg BusinessWeek. In fact, about 60% of the increase in jobs for women from 2009 to 2012 was in positions that pay $10.10 an hour or less, compared with 20% for men, according to a study by the National Women’s Law Center. — Lauren Weber

Cue the apology. The chairman of pasta brand Barilla said in a radio interview that he would not feature gay families in advertisements because “the family we speak to is a classic family.” Within hours, “the hashtag ‘boicotta-barilla’ was trending on Twitter,” reports the Guardian. – Francesca Donner

And finally…

Some interesting tips from Herminia Ibarra via Harvard Business Review to help you to develop new skills even in a job that offers limited room for growth. Among them: walk the halls, go get lunch, sign up for a project outside your core area and perhaps most important, instead of asking “How can I do what I do better?” ask yourself, “What else can I do?” – Francesca Donner

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Written and edited by The Wall Street Journal’s Management & Careers group, At Work covers life on the job, from getting ahead to managing staff to finding passion and purpose in the office. Tips, questions? email us.